Peanut strippee



C. .W. NICHOLSON.

PEANUT STRIPPER.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet- 2.

l G. W. NICHOLSON.

PEANUT STRIPPBN. No. 308,690. Patented Deo. 2. 1884.

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NTTE STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES WESLEY NICHOLSON, OF ASSAMOOSIGK, VIRGINIA.

PEANUT-ST'RIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,690, dated December 2, 1884.

Application filed May 3l, 1884. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, GnARLns W. NICHOL- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Assamoosick, in the county of Southampton and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Peanut Strippers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciica-tion.

My invention relates to vine and seed strippers,` and is intended especially for use in separating peanuts from the vines; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement'ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figures l and 2 are elevations ofthe opposite sides of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of same. Fig. Llis a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 5, a vertical transverse section of my machine. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the agitator-table, and Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the saw-operating mechanism, all of which will be presently described.

The main casing of my machine is composed of the side boards, A A, and the fanease B, arranged between the boards A A at one end. On the casing I mount or form the separatingframe, composed of wires or other suitable rods, C, extended between'the end top bars, C C, and parallel with the sides A A. The fan-case is arranged at what, for convenience of reference, I term the front7 of my machine. An arch-frame, D, is mounted on the easing near the front end ofthe machine, andhasjournaled in its standards D the roller E. The trunnion or shaft E' of this roller is extended, and has on its outer end the pulley E2. The trunnion E has a pulley, Et, secured on its outer end. Cleaners D`l have one end secured to the top bar of the arch-frame, and .their other ends bear against the roller and clear same of any vines that may be carried up thereby. I make these cleaners of spring rods or wires having a tension at their lower ends The agitator-bars Fare arranged on the tableV in longitudinal line therewith, and are pivotally secured near their upper ends to said table at F, as shown. These bars are secured at their lower ends to a connecting-bar, G, held by keepers G, formed, preferably, of metallic strips secured at one end on the upper side of the table F, and bent around the bar G, and secured at their'lowcr ends to the under side of the said table F, to the lower edge of the agitator-table, so the said bar G may be moved longitudinally, in order to give the agitator the desired oscillatory movement indicated in Figs. 3 and 6. I extend the agitators beyond the connecting-bar, forming the lingers H, which extend under the guide "board II. rlhis guide-board is inclined in A opposite direction to the agitator-table, ,and

is held in slots Il', formed in the inner faces of the sides A. The board H may, it will be seen, bc adjusted in these slots to any suitable position toward the lower end of thexagitatorframe. The grooves terminate close over the fingers H3. A saw, I, is arranged to operate close below the separating-rods at a point ap` proximately vertically under the roller. The. toothed edge of this saw is toward the front or feed end of the machine. The main broad Objectis to provide a saw for cutting thenuts from the stems, and the saw may be made with its ends detached and be operated horizontally in any desired way. By preference,

of the machine.

An inclined return-board, J, is arranged under the lower end of the agitator-table, preferably in grooves J in such manner as to direct the nuts into the space J2, while the dust and dirt will be blown out between boards J and H by the fan L. This fan is arranged in the case B, and has its shaft L extended on one side and provided with the pinion L2. A cranl,L",is formed on the shaft L', and is connected by pitman L'L with one arm of a bell-crank, L5, the other arm of which is connected with bar G, so as to reciprocate said bar and oseillate the agitators in the operation The pinion L2 is meshed with gear M. The shaft of gear M has a pulley, M. A shaft, N, is journaled in the framing at right angles to the axis of the bevel-pinion I, and this shaft N has on it the bevel-gear N, meshed with and adapted to revolve the pinion I3. `This shaft N may have a handcrank, N, (showin) or aband-pulley or other expedient whereby to facilitate the application of power, as will be understood from the drawings. A pulley is secured on the shaft N in line with pulley Et, and is connected therewith, as shown by belt N3. By connecting the pulleys E" and M by belt I complete the gearing of the machine, so all parts are driven from a single source of application of power.

I do not desire to be limited in the broad features of my invention by the particular form or arrangement of the gearing employed, as such may manifestly be varied in many ways without departing from said broad principles.

Ihe operation of my machine is simple, and will be readily understood from the description before given. As the vines are fed under the roller the nut-s are pressed thereby through between the rods of the separating-frame, where they are cut from the roots by the saw. The vines are passed to the rear of the roller and removed from the frame. The nuts fall onto the table and are shaken by the agitatorbars in their descent on said table. This loosens the dirt from the nuts, and when they fall on the return-board the blast from the fan will force dust and light stems out of the open end ofthe case, and the nuts will fall into the space J 2.

I prefer to use the roller form of presser shown, as thereby the same part serves to press kthe nuts through between the rods C, and also to draw the vines through to rear of the cutting. It is manifest, however, that the presser could be formed in various ways-for instance, a hinged board may be arranged to press the nuts through the frame. It will also be understood that the presser may be dispensed with and the nuts pressed down by hand. Iprefer, however, to use a mechanical presser and to make same in the roller form, as shown.

Instead of operating the saw by the mechanism described,said saw may be operated by hand. It will also be appreciated that the blade may be made with a straight edge instead of the saw-teeth, though I prefer to employ the construction as shown and before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination ofthe separating-frame, the inclined table arranged below the frame, the agitators pivoted on said table, and the saw, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination ofthe separati11g-frame,4 the agitator-table, the endless band-saw passed around the agitator-table, suitable pulleys supporting the band-saw, and the operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3. rIhe combination, with the separatingframe provided with a series of rods, C, of the cutter-blade arranged below and in a plane parallel with the separating-frame and extended and operating longitudinally at right angles to the rods C thereof', substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the separating-frame, a presser arranged above said frame, and an endless band-saw supported on suitable rollers and operating close to the under side of the separatin g-frame, substantiall y as set forth.

5. The combination of the separating-frame adapted to permit the passage of the nuts and to stop the yines, a presser arranged above the frame, an endless band-saw, suitable pulleysV supporting the band-saw, and the operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the separatingframe, of an endless cutter-blade suitably supported and operating close to the under side of the separating-frame, substantially as set forth.

7. rI`he combination, with the separatingframe, the presser-roller, and an ovcrhanging frame, of spring rods or cleaners having one end secured to the overhanging frame and their other ends bearing against the presserroller, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination ofthe separating-frame, the table F, the bar G, held to and movable along the lower edge of the table F, the agitators F, pivoted near one end to the table F, and having their other ends connected with the bar G, and the necessary opera-ting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WE SLEY NICHOLSON.

W i tnesses: I

M. W. TURNER, R. H. BARRETT. 

